


One Way or the Other

by FleetofShippyShips



Series: Prompted Harry Potter Works [42]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Established Relationship, HP: EWE, M/M, Multi, Post-Hogwarts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 17:32:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13769064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetofShippyShips/pseuds/FleetofShippyShips
Summary: Prompt:“I’m gay, non-monogamous, and really annoying. Who else is going to stand me?”Speculation about their relationship finally hits the public.





	One Way or the Other

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by amaliabones. Originally posted on my [@drarryville](http://drarryville.tumblr.com) sideblog.

“I’m gay, non-monogamous, and really annoying,” Draco pointed out, hitting a finger for each point, his tone darkening with each one. “Who else is going to stand by me? There is no one else. We don’t need anyone else.”

“Yeah!” Neville said, catching Draco’s hands and pulling them apart because he was still pressing the last finger back, and his skin turning white at the joints. “We’re all we need, Harry.”

“But… you don’t… argh!” Harry threw his hands up and resumed his pacing.

Draco tensed even more, his fingers curling into claws within Neville’s hands. Neville hooked his own fingers around them.

“Harry, I know you have more to face than us, with everyone wanting to know every minute detail of your life, but you’re overthinking this,” Neville said gently. “Just because you think no one wants us to be together doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.”

“Asking for space, asking us to _lie_ about this, until you find someone else willing to support us and stand by us is asinine!” Draco added. “If you’ve changed your mind about us, just fucking say it! Don’t fall back on your fame as a—”

“This is not about my fame!” Harry snapped, pausing his pacing to point a finger at Draco.

Neville shook his head, giving Draco’s fingers a squeeze. “It is, Harry. You literally just said no one is supporting us, everyone is against us, and that this is too hard. You only think that way because of that stupid article in _Witch Weekly_ speculating about us, and the public backlash from it. You’ve been avoiding everyone else. You don’t even know what they think yet. This is entirely about your fame and the public reaction to us.”

Harry made an angry groaning sound, and an equally angry gesture, his arms moving wildly. “Are you seriously okay with having our names smeared in the paper? Having everyone hate us because we dare to love more than one person? We’re going to have to fight every step of the way for this, now that it’s gone public. Every step of the way. Constantly defending our choices and having them fight back with hate.”

“When the fuck have you ever turned away from a challenge?” Draco hissed, trying to tug his hands free from Neville’s grip and failing. Neville was not letting him go for one moment.

“We don’t have to defend ourselves,” Neville said, catching Harry’s eye and holding it. “We don’t owe them lies if you think defending what we have is too hard. We don’t owe them anything. We are who we are, and we only need to be ourselves and ignore them. Don’t answer to them. Don’t defend yourself to them. Make them see us and get used to us. If you do anything else, you’re setting a precedent for them controlling your life.”

Harry’s face contorted through several expressions, then he sat down heavily on the floor in front of the couch. He covered his face with his hands and made another angry, desperate sound.

“I didn’t fall in love with a coward!” Draco hissed. “Pull your shit together, Potter!”

“Draco!” Neville snapped.

“No!” Draco snapped right back, finally wrenching his hands free from Neville’s grip and rising to his feet. “After the shit we’ve all been through, this is what breaks him? Some stupid bitch at _Witch Weekly_ implying we’re filthy deviants? I won’t accept it! I won’t go back to letting other people determine my worth and deciding what I’m allowed to do and have! I’ve come too far! If Harry can’t suck it up and stand with us, then he can fuck off!”

Harry dropped his hands and stared up at Draco with a horrified expression. Neville felt similarly lost for words.

“And if that means losing both of you, then so be it!” Draco added. “I’m not letting anyone, not even you two, take me back to where I was two years ago! Hating myself, and feeling ashamed of myself. Never again! I could stay with you even if no one else supported us, because you two are enough for me. You both make me happy. But if Harry can’t stand up for us, then I’m done!”

Before either of them could respond, Draco stormed out of the room. Neville turned to look at Harry and saw that his shoulders sank with every heavy step they heard on the stairs, followed by a flinch when a door slammed upstairs.

Neville leaned heavily against the back of the couch and groaned. “Well done.”

“Shut up,” Harry muttered weakly.

Neville closed his eyes and tried to think clearly. But his instant reaction was foremost in his mind and wouldn’t waver.

“I’m with him on this one, Harry,” he said, hating each word but knowing it was the truth. “We always knew your fame would be hard, once the truth of us came out. We all decided to give this a go anyway, you included. If you turn tail now, if you try to lie about us, and hide us, if you put us on hold just to wait for the dust to settle, then you’re on your own. I’m with Draco.”

It hurt. It physically hurt to say it, and to know that it was true, to know that he could lose Harry. But he had to.

With a heavy sigh, he pulled himself to his feet. “At the very least, go to the Burrow, talk to your family. I don’t doubt they’re confused, but I also don’t doubt they’ll support you anyway. They matter. The public doesn’t matter.”

“It’s not that easy for me!” Harry said angrily, getting to his feet as well. “They follow me everywhere! We’ll never hear the end of it!”

Neville shook his head sadly. “If what we have together isn’t enough to drown out their voices, then that says it all, Harry. Because it’s enough for Draco and I.” Harry looked away, his hands curling into fists at his side. Neville sighed again. “Go see your family. I’ll calm Draco down. But he won’t back down from this, and he shouldn’t. I won’t either. Sort your shit out, and then tell us your decision. One way or the other.”

Reaching out, Neville gave Harry’s shoulder a gentle pat, and then left the room. As he started up the stairs, he heard the floo roar to life in the sitting room. The Weasleys would surely set him right, but Harry’s relationship with the public would always be a problem. Draco had the right idea of it. Putting his foot down now, rather than letting it consume Harry and cause more problems later.

If they weren’t enough for Harry in the face of the public, then they would never be enough. It hurt to think that, but it was better to end things now, rather than suffer through coming second to Harry’s fame.

When he found Draco hiding under the covers in their bedroom, he just curled around him and didn’t comment on his tears.

“He’s gone to the burrow,” he said quietly, finding one of Draco’s hands and lacing their fingers together. “We’ll know soon.”

**Author's Note:**

> The end is left deliberately open for interpretation, so the reader can decide what Harry does next, he can either come back to them and they go forward supporting each other (including them being more sensitive about the complications of his fame and helping him through it, once he decides to really work through it), or he decides it's too much and Draco and Neville leave him but stay together without him.
> 
> You can choose your own ideal ending =) (but I won't be writing more, please don't ask me to)


End file.
